The Maine Caucuses are gatherings of neighbors in the New England tradition of town meetings. The Maine Democratic Party, with the help of local county and municipal committees, organizes caucuses by town.

Anyone who is eligible to vote in the State of Maine and will be at least 18 years of age on Election Day, November 8, 2016, may participate in caucuses.

You must be a Registered Democrat to participate.

If you are currently registered as a Green Independent or a Republican, you must re-register to vote with your town office and enroll in the Democratic Party by Friday February 19, 2016.

If you are currently unregistered or unenrolled in a political party (aka an independent), you may register/re-register at your municipal caucus on caucus day. The doors will open significantly before the actual business begins.

If you can’t attend in person, you may request an Absentee Ballot from the Maine Democratic Party. Absentees can request that they be considered for election as a Delegate or Alternate to the State Convention. Absentee ballots must be received in Augusta by Wednesday, March 2, 2016.

Special guest speaker: Senator Justin Alfond. What will the 2016 Senate campaign look like in Cumberland County? What’s at stake and what’s ahead?

Democratic senate candidates from Cumberland County have been invited to attend and give their one minute door speech. House candidates welcome as well.

Also on the agenda: Penny Joyce has resigned as the Treasurer of the CCDC. Many thanks to Penny, who stepped in when needed. Bill Birthisel, the CCDC Secretary, has taken on the role of Treasurer. At this meeting, we will elect a new secretary to fill out the term until the elections in November. Interested in running? Come to the meeting.

Bill Birthisel will talk about a fundraising proposal, to ensure we have enough money to assist our municipal committees during the 2016 campaign.

And…we’ll finish up with up to date information on the Caucuses and answer any questions about the process. With caucuses scheduled in every single town in Cumberland County, and 955 delegate seats from Cumberland at the Convention, we are in for an exciting few months.

Join Special guest the Hon. Mike Michaud and the Cumberland County Democratic Committee for a reception to support the 2016 grassroots campaign efforts in Cumberland County. Justin Alfond and Mark Eves will also speak.

With 7 Senate and 30 House campaigns in the county and dozens of municipal elections, it is critical that our Democratic city and town organizations in Cumberland County have the resources to lead the grassroots efforts to elect Democrats at every level.

From the Caucus in March, to the Convention in May, to the election in November, the Democrats in Cumberland County are at the center of state campaign activity in 2016.

Join us on Nov. 17 5:30 PM at Bayside Bowl ($30 Activist)

Other special guests to be announced.

The Hon. Mike Michaud is appearing as a special guest of the Cumberland County Democratic Committee. His participation at this event is not a solicitation for funds or attendance.

The Perkins-Mitchell Dinner will be held Friday, December 4th, 5:30-9:30 p.m. at the Landing at Pine Point in Scarborough. The renamed dinner will recognize two great Democratic leaders: Frances Perkins and Senator George Mitchell. Sen. Mitchell and Tomlin Perkins Coggeshall, the grandson of Frances Perkins, will both be in attendance. Buy tickets now!

“I am honored to be recognized by Maine Democrats and to share this unique tribute with Frances Perkins,” said Sen. George Mitchell.“My work in politics has always been driven by my love of Maine and making our state a better place for all. Our work continues as we look to increase economic opportunity, reduce poverty and build a better future for our children. I look forward to celebrating the Maine Democratic Party’s continued commitment to these ideals today.”

“The new name of the Maine Democratic Party’s annual dinner is an honor for the legacy of my grandmother, Frances Perkins,” said Coggeshall. “To have her recognized in this way and to be paired with Senator George Mitchell is a fitting choice for Maine Democrats. Both of these Democratic leaders with Maine roots fought for social justice and economic security for the working men and women of our country. Their careers took different paths, but they strived for the same goals, ‘the best possible life,’ as my grandmother put it, ‘for all.”

After soliciting responses from the public, the Maine Democratic Party’s Executive Committee selected the public’s top pick, the Perkins-Mitchell dinner, as the new name of the fall fundraising dinner. More than 500 people submitted their votes. The Maine Democratic Party moved to change the name of its annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner to better reflect the modern day values of the Party and its members.

“We couldn’t be more proud to honor the legacies of Frances Perkins and Senator George Mitchell at our fall gathering,” said Phil Bartlett, Chair of the Maine Democratic Party. “Perkins and Mitchell are the standard-bearers of the values we represent today. Perkins was a pioneer who fought for workers’ rights and economic opportunity for all, while Mitchell carved his niche as a peacemaker and dedicated public servant to the people of Maine. We look forward to celebrating their thoughtful leadership and unique contributions to our state and Party.”

Frances Perkins of Newcastle was the woman behind the New Deal, out of which the Democratic Party was reborn. When asked by newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt to serve as his Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins made a list of her conditions for accepting the job on the back of an envelope: a minimum wage; a 40-hour work week; unemployment compensation, worker’s compensation; the abolition of child labor; Social Security. In FDR’s first 100 Days, Perkins was tasked with establishing the Civilian Conservation Corps and secured federal funding for the Nation Industrial Recovery Act to put Americans back to work. In 1935 the Social Security Act was signed into law, and in 1938 the Fair Labor Standard Act established a minimum wage, the 40-hour work week, and banned child labor. Learn more at Francesperkinscenter.org

Sen. George Mitchell’s living legacy is that of a great American statesman and international peacemaker. As a Senator, in the heat of the Iran-Contra hearings, Mitchel famously reminded all of America that “Although He is regularly asked to do so, God does not take sides in American politics.” Born and raised in Waterville, Mitchell is a man so highly regarded and respected on the national and global stage, the was elected to Senate Majority Leader, asked by President Clinton to serve on the United States Supreme Court, appointed, tasked with brokering peace in Northern Ireland, and appointed Special Envoy for the Middle East by President Obama. He also established the Mitchell Institute, which provides scholarships to remove financial barriers for young Mainers to attend Maine colleges. More about his career at https://library.bowdoin.edu/

Lynn Olson is the Democratic nominee in the special election for Standish state representative for the seat being vacated by Michael Shaw. Voters in District 23 will choose between Olson and Republican Lester Ordway for the remainder of Shaw’s term, which runs until the end of 2016.

“It is an honor to be nominated to represent the people of Standish,” said Olson. “In my role as the Chair of the Standish Town Council, I have become very familiar with issues of Standish residents. It’s important that we have a representative who will advocate for our community and work across party lines to get things done. I look forward to talking to residents over the next two months and earning their votes.”

Olson is a small business owner and dedicated public servant who lives in the Standish area. She owns her own consulting firm, providing expertise to help grow area businesses. Previously she served as the Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine and worked for the Maine Community College system as their Chief Financial Officer, where she advocated for workplace development and was responsible for strategic budget planning.”

“I am thrilled that Lynn Olson is running to represent the Standish community in the legislature,” said Speaker of the House Mark Eves of North Berwick. “Lynn has dedicated her career to training workers, educating our kids and writing budgets. I can’t think of anybody better to help grow Maine’s economy and protect valuable taxpayer dollars. Lynn will be an excellent advocate for the residents of Standish.”

“I am very sad to be leaving the legislature, but I can’t think of anybody better to replace me than Lynn Olson,” said Mike Shaw, the former State Representative who stepped down last month after relocating his family. “She has an incredible commitment to the town of Standish and she understands the values of Standish residents.”

Olson will run as a Clean Elections candidate and will focus on a positive, grassroots campaign.

The Cumberland County Democratic Committee will be meeting on Sunday, June 24th, from 4-6 PM at the Cumberland Town Hall, 290 Tuttle Road in Cumberland. We’ll have several speakers presenting regarding opportunities to contribute to victory in November and the need to begin our organizing efforts sooner than later. We will also be electing a representative from Cumberland County to the Maine Democratic Party’s Rules Committee. And, finally, at this meeting as at all meetings through Election Day, we’ll provide all candidates present with the opportunity to introduce themselves and make some brief remarks.

Driving home yesterday, thinking about how I wanted to describe the experience of the Democratic State Convention, I heard Elvis Costello (yes, my tastes in music are firmly planted in past decades and centuries…) sing about “searching for light in the darkness of insanity.” That completely captured my experience this weekend.

The Convention was not only energizing, but provided that light time and again. We heard from Representatives Chellie Pingree and Mike Michaud, who provide us with extraordinary representation in the House of Representatives. Our party chair and vice-chair, Ben Grant and Janet Mills, have led us into a rebirth of the party, creating light from the darkness of 2010. We heard from our Senate candidates, Cynthia Dill, Matt Dunlap, Jon Hinck and Ben Pollard, who provided us with their fantastic visions, one of which will lead us into the November election. We heard from current and past legislative leaders, Hannah Pingree, Emily Cain and Justin Alfond, who not only provide great leadership today, but also promise a brilliant future for our party and state. And Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland’s great speech was a wonderful launch into the general election campaign season. And our party staff, led by Mary Erin Casale, did a fantastic job of running the convention, making this the best run of the 10 that I’ve attended. There were too many others to cite, but I was struck with how fortunate we are to have such incredible leaders, with whom we will be victorious in November and lead Maine into a great future.

In this season in which we are constantly buffeted with the message that everyone who isn’t an independent is somehow a flawed partisan, we saw and heard the perfect response at the Convention. We are blessed with great leaders who we need to be clear are principled and not just partisan for the sake of partisanship. We need to take back the campaign narrative from one of partisanship to principled compromise. We hear so much about breaking gridlock and compromise. The problem is that, as anyone who has ever engaged in a successful negotiation knows, compromise is meaningless unless it’s based upon principle. I believe that we need to be leaders in finding a successful path forward at the state and national levels. But when we as Democrats negotiate and compromise, we need to be clear about what we stand for, what are principles are and how, in compromising, we are not selling out and deserting the poor and middle and working classes. Quite frankly, I’m tired of hearing from independents about how they will compromise without giving us even the slightest hint of what is important to them, what principles will govern compromise and where they will draw the line. (Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest among us and Romney/Ryan/Republican proposed additional trillions of tax cuts anyone???) At this convention, we adopted a platform and heard speaker after speaker tell the world what we stand for and what our party’s governing principles are, have been and will continue to be. It reminded me of why I’ve been a registered Democrat for 40 years and how we have 21st century leaders who worthily inherit the mantle of great 20th century Democrats.

We heard much about the coming campaign season. Calling this election critical is an understatement. We’ve seen the damage done by Gov. LePage and the Republican majority in the Legislature, undoing years of progress. We need to stop them now to protect the citizens of Maine and the place to do that is in the legislative elections. We have an incredible campaign plan in place, with a wealth of data about what we need to do to regain a legislative majority. But this is all predicated on volunteer efforts this summer and fall. We will achieve victory in November, because of all of us working together, donating, making phone calls, going door to door, getting out the vote.

We also had county and state elections at the Convention. Two were particularly noteworthy. We had a hotly contested race for delegate to the Democratic National Committee. Phil Bartlett was victorious and, along with Maggie Allen, will be representing us for the next four years. Join me in warmly congratulating him; I look forward to his representing us and working for victory nationally and in Maine. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Sam Spencer. Sam has represented Maine on the DNC for the past 8 years. He has brought an extraordinary degree of dedication and loyalty as well as great effectiveness to this position. I look forward to continuing to work with Sam and would encourage you to take the opportunity to thank and recognize him.

We elected representatives from Cumberland County to the Democratic State Committee. We elected a strong delegation, who will provide excellent representation. The new delegates are: Pam Fenrich, Tom Foley, Tom Bull, Mike Tipping, Wayne Hollingworth, Jackie Sartoris, Tamsin Kemos, Rachel Hendrickson and Hallie Daughtry (whose daughter, Matthea, gave a rousing speech on behalf of her mother that firmly planted her in my mind as a rising and future leader.)

I’ve gone on too long and could go on further; that’s how energizing, exciting, motivating, this Convention was. I’m certain that this is going to be a fantastic and victorious electoral season, but I will only be proven right if we all pull together and are part of the winning effort. There are lots of opportunities to contribute and participate. Let me know how you’d like to join the effort.

The next meeting of the Cumberland County Democratic Committee will be held on March 18th. The meeting will be hosted by the Brunswick Dems and will be held at the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick. We’ll have a social hour from 4-5 PM and the business meeting will be held from 5-6 PM. Further information about the agenda will be provided.

The next meeting of the Cumberland County Democratic Committee will be held on October 30th, at 4 PM, with social time before and after, at the Local Buzz. Jamie Wagner (… the Cape Elizabeth Democratic Chair…) and his partner have graciously offered to host the meeting. And, for those of you who are NE Patriots fans, the Local Buzz has televisions available and the Steelers – Patriots game will be on.

We’ll provide further information regarding the agenda, but important items will be elections for the treasurer, replacing Halsey Snow, who has resigned after several years of great service, for which we are extremely grateful, 2 positions on the Democratic State Committee and remaining vacancies for State Democratic Convention positions.